Fit kids are healthy kids, lookout for Athlekids coming soon 2-5yrs.
Baby Sign has created a lovely bond between me and Kathryn. It's wonderful to know what she is trying to tell me. I have realised her love for dogs, planes and plants....
What is the best age to start signing with my baby?
You can start at any age however you won’t get your reward until they are about 6 – 8 months as this is when they can start basic gestures. However your baby will look at your hands and recognise the sign earlier and you will see understanding. Don’t get frustrated, your little one will reward you for your efforts when they are good and ready!
When will my baby sign back to me?
This is a bit like when will my baby walk? It varies from child to child. However they will sign when they are ready. Often babies will be in the early stages of signing however you may not initially recognise it. So keep up the good work, they will tell you what they want very soon. Coming to class gives you the support and encouragement you need during this time. It is lovely for the babies to also see other babies and mums taking part in signing as they learn so much from watching and copying. Of course they love the teacher!
I haven’t attended the baby class
is it too late to join when they are a toddler?
If you have not had the opportunity to attend whilst your child was a baby then the sooner you start the better. You may find your child is saying some words however may be showing signs of frustration. If not then you are lucky! As a toddler you can really go for the signs and throw them at them as you would language. Just make sure you always talk and say the word you're signing. Don’t hold back. You may have a bit of catching up to do by learning the signs but that is where we make it easy for you. So don’t delay get started.
What if my toddler is all ready talking; is it too late to start signing?
Under three years of age it is never too late, as they are learning vocabulary and how to articulate words properly. Often your child will understand far more than what they can actually express, so get signing and help them to express themselves more. They will get frustrated at some stage; how great to have the signs to help you! The classes are interactive for the babies and toddlers so not only will they learn new words through signs they will enjoy the music and class activities.
Will signing delay my baby’s speech?
As long as you talk whilst signing it most defiantly will not hinder their speech. Why do you wave goodbye and then say it? What does the baby copy? The waving, because they can do it and the word follows later. The same principle applies. By using the sign with the spoken word this creates the memory for the baby and develops a stronger command for language.
I thought signing was just for deaf people?
Signing provides numerous benefits for hearing children in the early stages of language development; you can sign so easily with your baby or toddler. Baby Signing is helpful for all children whether they can hear or not, as it's a social and interactive activity with lots of talking.
What if we speak another language - will signing make it confusing?
Signing is of great benefit and support to a child that is learning a second language. Your child may mix up some words and may even be a little slower initially with their mother tongue language; however this will sort itself out and before you know it they will be managing both languages, so get signing!
Is there scientific evidence to support the idea of signing?
Joseph Garcia from Alaska Pacific University and Linda Acredolo & Susan Goodwyn at the University of California have done some wonderful studies showing the benefits of signing with hearing children. The conclusion is that signing:
1 Increases verbal language
2 Encourages interest in books
3 Children develop a higher IQ and, for me, the best is that
4 It makes for a stronger bond between you and your child. You get to experience communication that you would never have had the opportunity to.
Should I use Makaton, BSL, Auslan - what is the difference?
Baby Signing should be simple as we don’t want to make it too complicated to implement every day. Auslan is recognised within Australia so our signs are based on this. Because we are dealing with babies and toddlers we do not want to get too technical. Deaf signing is more complicated to learn, and is essentially a language within itself and you do not talk. We want to support our child’s language with some basic gestures that are fun and easy to learn and uses speech in conjunction with the signs. So let’s keep it simple and fun. If you want to learn deaf signing this is where the experts in this field come in. Baby Signing is a great way to learn some basic signing to allow you to develop your child’s language and your communication together.
Some of the mother’s from our classes have gone onto to college to learn signing in more detail which is fantastic so you never know where baby signing may lead you. Some have even become teachers themselves.
What if i don’t know the sign for a word?
Don’t worry, use a gesture that feels natural to you, as long as you are consistent with this sign it will work. You don’t need to carry a book around with you - that is the beauty of Baby Signing. You can check out our website glossary if you want to see the sign otherwise come along to classes and you will learn all the signs you need.
